Vanderbilt Commodores vs Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Preview
After a full day worth of SEC tournament games, cap off your evening with a matchup between the No. 11 Vanderbilt Commodores (16-15) and the No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide (19-12). This game will be played at Amalie Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 8:30 pm ET.
The winner of this game will square off with No. 3 Kentucky on Friday night. These two teams squared off just a few weeks ago, with Alabama winning 74-72 on the road back on February 22.
In the win, Jahvon Quinerly led the Crimson Tide with 19 points. Scottie Pippen Jr. had a game-high 26 points in the loss for Vanderbilt.
On Wednesday, Vanderbilt easily disposed of No. 14 Georgia 86-51. Pippen again led the Commodores with 14 points.
After finishing the season on a two-game losing streak, Alabama enjoyed a bye through the first round. Still, after losing to Texas A&M (87-71) and LSU (80-77) in their last two contests, they have some work to do to get back on track.
Alabama is the favorite in this one. They are -210 to win while the Commodores’ moneyline sits at +172. The spread features Vanderbilt +5 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 147.
By The Numbers
Alabama has one of the best offenses in the entire country. They currently rank ninth in the nation averaging 80.1 points per game. The Commodores rank 195th averaging 69.5 points per game.
Defensively, it is Vanderbilt with the big advantage. They rank 120th in the nation in scoring defense allowing opponents an average of 67.5 points per game. Alabama falls to 317th, allowing 76.2 points per game.
SEC Leading Scorer Looking To Lead Team To Upset
At just 16-15 overall and 7-11 in the conference, it has been a bit of an inconsistent year for Vanderbilt. While the record may not be appealing, there is plenty of talent, led by the SEC’s leading scorer, Scottie Pippen Jr.
On Thursday, Pippen will look to upset the defending SEC tournament champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide. On the season, Pippen has averaged 20.5 points on 43.8% shooting while also adding 3.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and two steals per game.
The only other player averaging double digits for the Commodores is junior forward Jordan Wright. In 30 games, Wright is averaging 11.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Alabama Looks To Stay Alive In SEC Tourney
It was certainly not the way that Alabama wanted to end its regular season, losing three of its last five, including its last two. Still, Alabama has been here before and would love the opportunity to take on Kentucky Friday night.
The Crimson Tide can’t look past Vanderbilt, though. The Commodores almost upset them a few weeks ago and have the weapons to get it done.
Leading Alabama is junior guard Jaden Shackelford. Despite shooting just 39.3%, Shackelford leads the team averaging 16.6 points per game. He is also averaging 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Other major contributors for Alabama include Jahvon Quinerly (14.3 points, three rebounds, 4.3 assists), Keon Ellis (12.1 points, six rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 steals), and JD Davison (8.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists).
Take Vanderbilt And The Points
There are a lot of variables that point to this being a relatively close game. First, just a few weeks ago, Vanderbilt was able to hold their own as they hosted Alabama.
Despite picking up the win, the game against Vanderbilt was just another example of how Alabama has underperformed to end the season.
Lastly, for as good as their offense is, the Crimson Tide’s defense is equally as bad. With weapons like Pippen and Wright in the fold, it is very possible that the Commodores could pull off the upset.
At the very least, expect this to be close down to the wire, meaning the most value is in Vanderbilt at +5.
